사도 (Sado)/ The Throne (Blog 3)

Plot Summary:

The Throne, a 2015 South Korean movie, is directed by Lee Joon-ik and starring Song Kang-hoo and Yoo Ah-in. The movie is based on one of the most well-known and saddest true stories that happened in South Korean history. It sets in Joseon period and when the country was under King Yeongjo’s rule. The Throne depicts the darkness of the palace, the constraints between different parties, the heartbreaking father-son relationship between King Yeongjo and Crown Prince Sado, and the tragic execution of Crown Prince Sado. It first opens with Crown Prince Sado enters King Yeongjo’s palace with a sword, and then as he is locked inside of a rice chest for punishment, the story unfolds and tells the struggle of both Crown Prince Sado and King Yeongjo. Under King Yeongjo’s high expectation, Crown Prince Sado has been living in extreme high pressure and his performance has never satisfied King Yeongjo. The King wants a perfect heir to the throne, while the son wants a warm compliment and ordinary relationship with the father. Their relationship and the different political parties lead Crown Prince Sado to a tragic ending.

Historical Background:

The execution of Crown Prince Sado is one of the most tragic events in Korean history. And the reason for his execution is also debatable that whether it is because he is a sacrifice as a result of political game, or  because his mental illness. Crown Prince Sado’s tragedy also reflects how merciless King Yeongjo was. Everything about him was tabooed until King Yeongjo passed away. King Jeongjo, who was the son of Prince Sado and also the next ruler after King Yeongjo, honored his father Sado and restated his name and identity as Prince Sado’s son since his grandfather added him to his deceased uncle’s family tree after Prince Sado was executed.

His wife, Lady Hyegyeong, wrote a memoir for Prince Sado which is considered as the only textual evidence for what really happened to him during this period. In her book, he claimed that Prince Sado is very mentally ill, and her theory might be also the first to talk about bipolar disorder in history.

The story of Prince Sado has been portrayed multiple times in popular culture, such as TV series, movies, and Webtoon. For modern generations, his tragedy is too far away from our real life which makes it become a great source for writing historical drama.

Real Event VS. Melodrama:

Although the film, The Throne, is based on a historical event, it is still a historical drama instead of a documentary. Since the taboo of the whole execution and existence of Prince Sado after his death, nowadays script writers can only based on the explanations that are left behind and create story with their interpretations. For example, The Throne is mainly focus on the father-son relationship, and many melodramatic scenes were around their relationship.

As shown here, the scene where Prince Sado is locked up inside the rice chest: King Yeongjo nails the rice chest himself. The close up of him hammering the nails, the diegetic sound of hammering is like a little bit terrifying considering this is the biological father locking his own son inside the chest. And the sound is like hitting on the audiences’ hearts. However, this scene is also melodramatic since the King doesn’t actually proceed execution on his own. The action of having King Yeongjo is a completely theatrical decision in order to show the extreme relationship between King Yeongjo and Prince Sado.

However, the movie doesn’t only show King Yeongjo’s indifference and cold-heart towards Prince Sado. As the movie unfolds chronologically as the execution, the underlying storyline is the flashbacks of King Yeongjo and  Prince Sado’s past which explains how father and son become like this. And the image on the right shows a scene when King Yeongjo is writing a book for Prince Sado that he stays up in the midnight. It is when Prince Sado is still a child, and the flashback makes strong contradiction to the “present” storyline where as King Yeongjo is watching Prince Sado dying in the rice chest. As the story builds up, the emotions between King Yeongjo and Prince Sado also grow more complicated from love to disappointment, and hate. The way of storytelling makes the whole movie very emotional and melodramatic as the audiences watch towards the end.

Theme Song:

Here below are the lyrics of one of songs from the original sound track, “As the Flowers Bloom and Fall”. The lyrics are from Prince Sado’s point of view and the song is sung by famous actor and singer Jo Seungwoo. It is one of my favorite original songs for South Korean movie. I did a rough translation just to give an idea of the contents of the song.

나 이제 가려합니다 아픔은 남겨두고서
당신과의 못다한 말들 구름에 띄워놓고 가겠소

I am leaving now, and the pains are left behind me.

The words that I couldn’t tell you, I ask the clouds to pass them to you.

그대 마음을 채우지 못해 참 많이도 눈물 흘렸소
미안한 마음 두고 갑니다 꽃이 피고 또 지듯이
I couldn’t fulfil your wish and expectations. And the tears fall like heavy rain.

So I leave my apologies and guilt behind, and go away alone like the flowers bloom and fall.

허공을 날아 날아 바람에 나를 실어
외로웠던 새벽녘 별들 벗삼아 이제 나도 떠나렵니다
Floating in the empty sky, I’m carried away by the wind.

I used to be friends with the stars at lonely dawn, but now I’m also leaving.

이렇게 우린 서로 그리워 하면서도
마주보고 있어도 닿을수 없어
왜 만날수 없었나요
Although we both miss each other so badly, I still couldn’t reach you when we are facing each other.

Why couldn’t we see each other?

행여 당신 가슴 한켠에 내 체온 남아 있다면
이 바람이 흩어지기 전 내얼굴 한번 만져주오

If I could leave a mark in your heart by any chance, please pet my face gently before this wind goes away.